Dame Kelly Holnmes
The average child spends over 3½ hours a day watching TV but less than 3½ hours a week exercising according to research out today. The findings show that activities taken outside of school have declined by 41% in a single generation with virtual activities replacing real life activity for many kids. This issue isn't helped by the fact that almost a quarter of the parents polled admitted to having written a 'false sick note' to allow their child to skip PE in school.
The national activity audit has been released to mark the launch of this year's Sainsbury's Active Kids initiative which is being led by double Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes. Launched three years ago, the Sainsbury's Active Kids voucher programme has already generated £50 million in investment in sporting equipment for UK schools.
One in 20 children do no exercise at all outside school, which rises to nearly one in 10 in girls. London children are the worst when it comes to skipping exercise with 17% claiming to be completely inactive outside school. Urban children are more likely to blame a lack of local resources for their sofa habit with kids from Birmingham, Manchester, and Newcastle stating they had "nowhere to go."
The audit confirms that British children are spending too much of their leisure time sitting in front of the telly, the games console and the computer and not enough time exercising.